Hughes Family, please board the short bus...

Last week, I went to Georgia for a very special event: the first annual Hughes Family Summer Camp. The Hughes Family consists of my grandparents (Jojo and Papa) and their four sons and families. My generation ranges from 6 years old to 25 years old. The idea for us to get together and have "camp" came about when we realized that a beach vacation was just going to cost too much, and "in this economy," none of us were really willing to put forth the money to do that. I was excited for HSC for several reasons:

1. I love camp. OBV, if you know that one of my favorite movies is "Wet Hot American Summer." Summer camp from when I was younger is one of my favorite memories.

2. I love my family, and hadn't seen some of them since I moved to California. (3 years)

3. Benjamin had met my family briefly, but this time he would really get to spend some time with them.

Just like summer camp, we had t-shirts, trophies, and activities planned every hour. We began on Thursday with the Opening Ceremonies. We had a nice catered Southern dinner, received our t-shirts (bright red), and went over the upcoming days events. We would all be competing for the coveted "Camper of the Week" award. Jojo and Papa had surprises for each generation. My Dad and uncles--lots of cash. My cousins and me--a folder full of newspaper clippings and photos from my grandparents lives so that we would always know what they were like when they were younger. It is very special, and I am glad to have it. Following the surprise, we played "20 Questions" and heard lots of stories from Jojo and Papa's early years. By that time, it was late and we needed to get to bed--rafting early in the morning!

Friday morning, 10 of us (Mom, Dad, Benjamin, Papa, Joel, Jerry, Kati, Laura Michael, Mikki, and me) went to the Ocoee River for whitewater rafting. Because my younger cousins are not old enough for the Ocoee yet, Jojo, Joan, Jeff, Harrison, Lauren, and Madeleine went to the Hiwassee River. Even though we got lost twice on the way to the rafting company, we arrived in plenty of time. The fun began following the safety briefing when they called over the intercom "Hughes family, please board the short bus" in order for us to be transported to the river. We sure got a kick out of it.

Mom, Dad, Benjamin and me were on a raft with our guide, Preston (or P-Dawg.) The rest of the family was on a raft with Andy, and right of the bat their raft assisted in a rescue of a "swimmer." Not long after the first rapid, Mom, Ben, and I were knocked out of our raft, which was quite scary at the time. Despite that, and the huge bruises on my arms, I have to say that the rafting was my favorite experience the whole weekend. I say this because this was one of the most challenging things I've done lately. It was fun to be in a raft with my fiance and parents, and work together towards a common goal--reaching the end of the course without falling out. Since we were only 4 people in a 6 person raft, we got a lot of air on the rapids, and sometimes Benjamin and I completely disappeared under the water. Preston got on to me a couple of times because I would paddle the wrong way, but my only thought process for the whole trip was "don't fall out of the raft." The water was cold, and my arms still hurt, but I can't wait to do it again. Next year, we want to raft the Upper and Middle Ocoee, which includes the Olympic course from the 1996 games.

Following rafting, we had to quickly shower and change for the Putt Putt Tournament. We were split into teams of 3, but we were battling against everyone. That is, men vs. men, women vs. women. We played two rounds, and I am proud to say I managed 4 Hole in One's. However, I balanced those out with a lot of bogies, so I was nowhere near the top 5 of the girls. Dad won the men's division, and Mom and Aunt Karo tied for the women's, which resulted in a 5 hole playoff. Mom eventually won.



The next morning (4th of July) we started our day out right--Helicopter Rides!! Jojo and Papa rented a private helicopter to shuttle 3 of us at time over Dalton. Most of us opted to ride with the doors off. I had a great time, and the pilot was very nice as well. (BTW, this was Ben's first whitewater rafting trip, and his first Helicopter ride, and he has since remarked how dangerous this weekend actually was)



Following the helicopter rides, we went to the bowling alley for the bowling tournament. Once again, we were split in to teams and we competed men vs. men and women vs. women. The highest I bowled was an 80, which is very sad. Dedra won the women's division with a 120, and Dad won the men's division with 168. Uncle Jerry gave Ben some really great tips while they played, and Ben doubled his score.

After bowling, we went back to Joel and Karo's for the ping pong tournament. We played double elimination. It was very intense. Karo won the women's division, and Jerry won the men's division. In between rounds, the girls played rummy, which took us about 5 hands to remember how to play.

The tournament ended just in time for the fireworks display. This year it was a little different. Jojo and Papa bought some heavy duty fireworks, which we set off first. (think of the fireworks you see when you go to a display, not just the ones you buy to set off in your backyard) The men set off the fireworks VERY close to where we were sitting, which resulted in ash falling on us the entire time. I've never been that close to fireworks, and it was very cool. Everyone around the lake had their own fireworks, and we kept setting off competing displays. I believe that ours were the best, but it was fun to see so many fireworks in a 20 minute timespan.



Sunday was very lowkey. The men played golf while the women had a surprise jewelry show! Jojo gave each girl a certain amount of money they could spend, and we all went away happy. After the men returned from golf, we had our closing ceremonies. We each got Participation Awards (mine is on my fridge) and Jojo and Papa handed out the trophies for the winners of the sports events. Everyone voted Jojo and Papa "Camper of the Week." (Mom and Dad's are on the mantle at home.) I was sad to leave, but excited about next year's camp.

Laurie vs. Bulma

Ever since Casey suggested I would make a good Laurie (from Watchmen...you know that little movie coming out this weekend?), I've debated if I should go as her for Halloween. Yes, I know Halloween is MONTHS away, but as it is one of my favorite holidays (tied with July 4th) it is always on my mind.

Here is a nice pic of Laurie...


I can definitely pull off the hair, I just need to style my bangs a little differently and take the straightening iron to it like CRAZY. I like the skintight catsuit, but I'm not sure I can pull that off at this time. She does look incredibly hot, so I will keep this in mind.

I can also go as Bulma from the new Dragonball Evolution movie. I like the update to Bulma's hair, as in the anime her hair is aqua green! In the movie, all she has is an aqua green streak. Pic of Bulma:



These characters actually look very similar. The hair is the same, Bulma just has hers pulled back in a high ponytail, plus the streak. She is also dressed all in leather, but she punctuates it with a deep purple shirt. And she's got weapons to boot. I like her outfit better, and I think I can pull it off. I just need to find leather pants and a tight cropped leather jacket, and I'm good to go.

Herpes Boy

The Herpes Boy website should be launching this week. We worked on mastering the trailer today, and getting some final elements of the website in place. Once that is all finished, we can launch the site. It looks really awesome.

I also want to give a shout-out to our amazing composer, Dorothea Tachler. You can listen to some of her stuff here: http://composersforum.ning.com/profile/DorotheaTachler

Her music has really transformed our film. The song featured in the trailer is also the song we use for the opening of the film, and I really feel it sets the tone.

Can't wait to share it with you!

10 Movies I Can't Live Without

To follow up my "10 Songs I Can't Live Without" post, I decided to do a movie post. Although I believe that some of these movies are fantastic films, by no means am I calling all of them masterpieces. They are simply what the title says, "movies I can't live without." These are the movies I watch over and over again, the ones that I go back to. These are the movies I would take to a desert island with me (preferably in blu-Ray.) I would also like to reiterate that the reason most of these films are on here are because of the people I watched them with, and the memories that are associated with them.

1. Cruel Intentions (Roger Kumble, 1999) I saw this movie in the theatres, and immediately fell in love with it. It was quite racy at the time, and at 15 a lot of it shocked me. The way the characters treated sex as a tool to get what they wanted blew my mind. I continued to watch this movie as I went through high school and college, and eventually chose it as my "favorite movie" for my essay to get into Chapman University. When I watched it as a film academic, I couldn't believe how good the movie was. This wasn't a teen movie in the vein of She's All That or Ten Things I Hate About You. This was a well executed collaboration between filmmakers, that happened to have major teen stars in it. It's a modern-day period piece, and I love it.

2. Clue (Johnathan Lynn, 1985) I vaguely remember seeing this movie for the first time on television when I was around 10. My Mom wouldn't rent it for me. I guess she thought I was too young to watch it. Anyway, I eventually bought it on DVD in college and renewed my love for it. This is just such a fun movie. It's dealing with something very serious--murder--but doing it in a non serious way. I love the board game, and to make an adaptation that sort of touches on the board game, but really doesn't, was ingenious. I also love that there are THREE ENDINGS with three DIFFERENT killers and they all could make sense!

3. Can't Hardly Wait (Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, 1998) I saw this in the theatre, but it was the constant DVD watchings with Kara in high school that solidified this movie for me. This is a great teen romantic comedy, and I love movies that take place in one day. Preston is such a lovable character, and you want him to get the girl even though it seems like everything is against him. Seth Green's character is priceless, and almost every teen star at the time was either in it or had a cameo. The late 90's were rife with teen movies, but this one is my favorite and in my opinion the best.

4. Wet Hot American Summer (David Wain, 2001) I watched this over a year ago after the insistence of Danner, and by now I've probably seen this movie 40 times. I absolutely love every minute of it. I love that it's so quotable, doesn't take itself seriously, and is just plain funny. I love movies with ensemble casts, and there are so many notable performances in this one. This movie made me a fan of Michael Showalter. It's definitely a movie that is best watched in a group, and it's no wonder they hold screenings of it from time to time.

5. Sin City (Robert Rodriguez, 2005) I love film noir, definitely modern film noir. I love the style of this movie, the performances, the inter-connecting stories. I love how raw and real it seems, even though we're looking at things that clearly can't be real. Everything is over the top, and I can't wait for the sequel, if it ever gets made.

6. Cabin Fever (Eli Roth, 2003) This film gave me such high hopes for Eli Roth, but unfortunately I hated all his followups. This film is both an homage to horror movies, and a parody. It's witty, gross, and fun. It's an '80s horror film, but made in 2003. It also stars Ryder Strong, who I love. I saw it first in the theatres, and multiple viewings on DVD. The DVD has lots of special features, most specifically commentaries from everyone involved. Eli Roth comes across as sort of a douche on the commentaries, so I usually just stick to the straight-up viewing.

7. Empire Records (Allan Moyle, 1995) This film is probably the most quotable on my list. I love the ensemble cast, the fact that it takes place in a day, and that work can look like so much fun. I love the soundtrack and the Rex Manning video. This movie makes me think of high school, and how I wished I had a job like that back then.

8. The Village (M. Night Shymalan, 2004) While not flawless, this is my favorite and in my opinion best movie of M. Night. I watch this movie over and over for the love story. It was marketed as a horror film, which was a great detriment since this movie is clearly about the relationship between Ivy and Lucius. I also watch this movie for the great performances that Bryce Dallas Howard and Joaquin Phoenix deliver. This film is also beautiful, which makes it easy to watch.

9. Closer (Mike Nichols, 2004) I try to watch this movie at least once a year because it's so hard to watch. It's hard to watch people be so mean to the people that they love, and continue to do it forever. These people will always love each other, but it's such an abusive kind of love that it seems like it's not even worth it, yet these people keep going back to each other. I watch it to remind myself that what these characters are doing isn't love, and that their actions should never be emulated.

10. Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven, 1995) This movie is so underrated. This movie is clearly a masterpiece, and the people who subscribe to the "it's so bad it's good" mentality clearly don't get this movie. It's wonderfully made, which doesn't mean it can't be NC-17. The script is great, the cinematography is great. The acting is mediocre at times, but that's one of the reasons this movie is great. The actors all take their characters very seriously, and it shows. Elizabeth Berkely had to have been on speed for this role, but it's what makes her character so endearing and hateable. Gina Gershon is my favorite in this movie, and you know she had to have fun playing that role.

10 Songs I Can't Live Without

Keirda tagged me in this meme, and since we're making a documentary about music, I felt obligated to participate. As I started to list the songs I can't live without, I realized that a lot of them needed explanation. I believe that a person's favorite songs are very personal. They serve as a reminder of a person, a place, or even of a previous version of yourself. They never exist in a vacuum. Same goes with movies. This is why I fervently defend my favorite movies and songs, because they are as personal to me as a treasured belonging. With that said, the songs I can't live without, in no particular order.

1. "I Know" by Sarah Slean. I honestly can't live without any of Sarah Slean's songs, but I had to pick one. Sarah sings with an honesty that I sometimes am unable to handle. Her words both uplift and cut deep, and her songs are forever an inspiration to me. I have been a fan of hers since I heard "I Know" back in 1999. "I Know" is a hard song about the abuse of women, and I understand she rarely, if ever, performs it. My favorite lyrics "I would fight a thousand men, I'd fight fire, and wind, and rain. I'd cry a river of tears for them." Followed with the haunting cry of "Jesus, where were you last night?" It's so unfair to only list one of her songs, but I wanted to list the first one I ever heard of hers.

2. "Top of the World" by The Juliana Theory. Unfortunately, this band broke up in 2005, before I was ever able to see them live properly. I love TJT's songs, but picking this one was a no-brainer. It's such a great song about the absolute fun of being in love. "We're at the top of the world, you and I. We've got a lot of time, and it sure feels right." It just can't be expressed any better than that. The song is also easy to dance to, and when I first heard it thought it would be the song I danced to on my wedding day.

3. "Colorblind" by Counting Crows. This song will always remind me of "Cruel Intentions," and rightly so as it was written for a specific scene in that movie. There is such honesty in Adam Duritz's voice as he sings this, and it always hits home. "I am covered in skin, no one gets to come in. Pull me out from inside."

4. "Of Angels and Angles" by The Decemberists. This song reminds me of working at Georgia Shakespeare and Heidi Blackwell. When I worked in the box office at GA Shakes, Heidi would always play songs and this one stood out to me. It's so haunting and beautiful, you almost feel like you should only listen to it when you are alone in a room in order to shield yourself from the emotions that will come out. "There are angels in your angles, there's a low moon caught in your tangles." And then a beautiful way to express holding hands..."Here's a hand to lay on your open palm today."

5. "Boogie Shoes" by KC and the Sunshine Band. I grew up listening to disco, and my Dad was particularly fond of KC and the Sunshine Band. This song is so fun to dance to. As simple as these songs are, they are fun and great to put on when there's a lot of people in the room. This song was also featured heavily in an episode of one of my favorite shows, "Sports Night."

6. "Songbird" by Fleetwood Mac. Picking one song off of the "Rumors" album was extremely hard. I love "Dreams" and "Don't Stop" and "The Chain" as well. The album is mostly about breakups and heartbreak, and "Songbird" is a nice reprieve from all of this. Christine McVie said she wrote it for the band members to know that everything was going to be alright. "Songbird" has been covered a few times, but the original version is my favorite. "To you, I'll give the world, to you I'll never be cold."

7. "The Math" by Hilary Duff. Well, I couldn't have a list without a teen pop song on it. Sorry guys. This song will always remind me of Rob Fine, and his complete acceptance of my love for Hilary Duff. (he shares it as well) It also reminds me of what was a dark period in my life, and Hilary Duff's songs helped me get through it. I truly believe that bubblegum pop can be mood-altering. "If you can't do the math, then get out of the equation."

8. "Why Should the Fire Die?" by Nickel Creek. Choosing only one Nickel Creek song was hard. This song is off the album of the same name, and arguably their best. The song addresses what could be the death of a relationship, but the singer's desperate need to keep the fire alive. I heard this song live right after a horrible breakup, and it gave me such hope for the future and for a promise that I would be with someone who wouldn't let the fire die.
"why should the fire die, my mom and dad kept theirs alive." "let me stay, and try and try for the rest of my life. I'm not scared of being alone,I'm just happier being confused,beside the fire as long as it's with you."

9. "Full of Grace" by Sarah McLachlan. Featured at the end of the finale of season two of Buffy, one of the best episodes in television history, this song had to be on my list. This song is so tragic and unbelievably raw. I only listen to it when I'm in a good mood. I'm too scared to listen to it otherwise, as it could be dangerous. "Oh darkness I feel like letting go.
If all of the strength, and all of the courage, come and lift me from this place...I know I could love you much better than this."

10. "Playing Favorites" by The Starting Line. This song reminds me of when I was making the decision to go to Chapman and move out to the west coast. It was an extremely hard decision, and this song helped me feel better about moving to California. "Wait for me to move out west, it's ok if you don't. I hope you know you're my favorite thing about the west coast. So here I am, counting down the days till California comes."

These were extremely hard to pick, and they were condensed from a list of 20. I hope this was entertaining at least.